Seniors help Huskies clinch double bye

STORRS -- Before the game even started, things weren't going according to script.

When it took several excruciating moments for the banner saluting Jim Calhoun's 800th career win to be unfurled, it seemed Saturday's battle with Notre Dame was off to a bad start for the UConn men's basketball team.

And when the Fighting Irish battled back from as much as a nine-point early deficit and had the game tied with less than eight minutes to play, it seemed the Huskies' emotional senior day at Gampel Pavilion may not go according to plan.

Then, UConn's three seniors made sure it did. A.J. Price scored four straight points to snap the tie, Jeff Adrien hit a driving layup with 1 minute, 21 seconds left to give the Huskies a three-point lead, and Craig Austrie made 3 of 4 free throws over the final 41 seconds to help clinch a 72-65 win over the Fighting Irish before a sellout.

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"To leave on this note, that's a great way of ending your career at Gampel Pavilion," said Adrien, who finished with a game-high 25 points on 11-for-15 shooting. "There's no other way I want to leave Connecticut."

Not necessarily, per Calhoun.

"Emotionally, the team was really into the whole senior thing in the locker room," Calhoun said. "We've been through this before, and most times we get our zip back. For whatever reason, we didn't really get our zip back."

But the No. 2-ranked Huskies (27-2, 15-2 Big East) found a way, and they've now clinched one of the top four spots in the Big East standings -- and with it, a double-bye into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. (In fact, the Huskies had clinched the quarterfinals less than three minutes into the game, thanks to Villanova's loss to Georgetown).

Still, the Huskies must play better if they want to achieve their goal of a Big East regular-season title, something they can accomplish in their next game, on Saturday at No. 1 Pittsburgh.

"I can't say it was the smoothest win we've had in recent times," Calhoun said. "We were so erratic within the game, except probably for Hasheem (Thabeet's) defense, which was the most constant (thing)."

Indeed, Thabeet had eight blocked shots to go with 16 points and 11 rebounds. He also helped hold Big East scoring and rebounding leader Luke Harangody to 14 points (7-for-18 shooting) and just five rebounds.

"Luke Harangody's really an incredible player," Calhoun said, "and to neutralize him, to some degree, is certainly a tremendous accomplishment."

Despite shooting 52 percent from the floor and holding Notre Dame (16-12, 7-9) to just 32 percent, the Huskies held just a 32-30 lead at halftime. The prime reason: the Irish made six 3-pointers, which helped slice as much as a nine-point deficit down to as little as one.

Harangody's stickback less than 30 seconds into the second half quickly tied it, and the Irish took a 37-34 lead on Harangody's running hook shot at the 17-minute mark.

The Huskies regained the lead -- by as much as six -- but a Kyle McAlarney fallaway with 7 minutes, 49 seconds to play tied it at 57.

Price made one of two free throws, and after a Ryan Ayers missed 3-pointer, Price came down and hit a spinning lane leaner while falling to the ground. After Tory Jackson missed a runner, Price made a 3-pointer -- but it was waved off due to a Stanley Robinson offensive foul.

With a minute to play, Harangody made a driving bank shot to get the Irish back within a point (66-65). Thabeet was fouled, knocked to the floor hard while driving to the hoop, and he stayed on the ground for several moments. He eventually left the game, and Austrie (the team's best foul shooter at 76 percent) was allowed to enter. Austrie made both free throws; Thabeet returned to the game a few seconds later.

"I didn't know he was that hurt, quite frankly," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said, rather sarcastically. "Maybe we should go to the NBA rule where I get to pick the guy (to shoot the foul shots). Did he get back in the game? Oh, he did. Oh."

Said Calhoun, with a wry smile: "If he faked it, I'm glad. I never thought he was that sophisticated about the game that he would think that way. But if he is, I'm happy for it, because I would have thought of it. Do I think he (faked it)? No. I think he took a good hit and wasn't ready to hit the free throws. But if you ask him and he says he thought of that, (raises thumb)."

Naturally, Thabeet was asked.

"I was not feeling good at all," Thabeet said. "I was trying to muscle up and go shoot the free throws. Then I felt that I couldn't, so I just took a break. I wasn't even thinking (about that), I was just thinking about pulling my numbers up."

Austrie, Adrien and Price -- the three seniors -- combined to make 4 of 6 free throws the rest of the way, and the script ended nicely for UConn.

"We were a tiny bit the better team, but it can always fall the other way in the NCAA tournament," Calhoun said. "In any game, our strengths should show, and I don't think all of our strengths showed today."